Child abuse as a result of enuresis.

BACKGROUND

Enuresis is a frequent manifestation with important psychological and social consequences. The aim of the present study was to describe the types of child abuse as a result of enuresis, and to investigate the association of child abuse.

METHODS

A cross-sectional field study was conducted between March 2001 and August 2001 in the 5-17-year-old age group, to identify risk factors and prevalence of enuresis in the province of Trabzon, Turkey. A face-to-face interview with 889 mothers was carried out. In the questionnaire, the existence, frequency, and risks factors of enuresis were questioned in detail and the parental reactions to the child's enuresis were widely investigated.

RESULTS

The prevalence of nocturnal enuresis was 17.9% in the 5-17-year-old age group. It was also found out that of 154 mothers, 86.4% (n = 133) were involved in child abuse of different types. It was found that 40.6% of children who were abused as a result of their enuresis were neglected medically, 42.1% were spanked and 12.8% were beaten.

CONCLUSIONS

The high prevalence of enuresis among Turkish children leads to a high frequency of neglect. The high frequency of other types of child abuse in Turkey can be taken as being punishment.